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From the Vicar...
It's (almost) unanimous!
On Sunday, Oct. 6, applause rang out in both of our congregations, Trinity Church, Hampton and Christ Church, Portsmouth, as our proposed Covenant for Shared Ministry came within one vote of being adopted unanimously.
The Covenant, which is the result of months of diligent work over the last several months, inaugurates the next chapter in our Shared Ministry between Trinity Church and Christ Church. A very thoughtful team made up of members of both congregations drafted the document. This summer, the joint Bishop's Committee members reviewed it, made a few minor adjustments and clarifications, and approved it. Another round of changes came out of the open forums preceding Sunday's vote. In the end, it had the unanimous support of both Bishop's Committees and all but one of those voting in our special parish meetings.
To summarize the intent of the Covenant, it formalizes in writing what we have already been doing for the past two years: our sincere and sacred intention to continue to work together as collaboratively as possible, to the mutual benefit of both congregations. This has already resulted in cost savings in several areas: we now share one Priest, one Music Director, and one Office Administrator. We have also shared information, ideas, and activities that have allowed us to better share our missions in an even more vibrant way with the greater communities around us. And we have made many great friendships along the way.
In a letter to the two congregations last month, Craig Davis, Warden at Christ Church and Patrice Wood, Senior Warden at Trinity, asked congregants to recall not only what the document says, but also what the Covenant does not say. It does not say anything about closing either church, or merging the two congregations into one. It also does not say that anyone else is "making" us do anything. In voting as we did Sunday, we made the conscious decision to pursue our Shared Ministry, and the Covenant formalizes that intent for the next two years, with an option to continue after that, if we so choose.
We look forward to having Bishop Hirschfeld with us sometime between now and the end of the year to sign the document and celebrate with us our moving ahead with the next chapter of this exciting Spiritual Adventure called the Shared Ministry of Trinity Church, Hampton and Christ Church, Portsmouth. Be watching for the date, which we hope to announce soon.
Faithfully,
Fr. Chip
Guest speaker at Christ Church this Sunday
Kirk Bloodsworth, Director of Advocacy, Witness to Innocence
This Sunday, Oct. 13, Christ Church welcomes Kirk Bloodsworth, Director of Advocacy for Witness to Innocence, as guest speaker. An honorably discharged former Marine, Kirk is the first person in the United States exonerated from death row by DNA testing. In 1984 he was arrested for the rape and murder of nine-year-old Dawn Hamilton. He was sentenced to death in Baltimore County, Maryland, in 1985. After Kirk's conviction was reversed in 1
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86, Kimberly Shay Ruffner, who was serving a sentence for another rape, was linked by DNA to the rape and murder of the child. He has served as a program officer for the Justice Project in Washington, DC., and is the subject of the book, Bloodsworth: the True Story of the First Death Row Inmate Exonerated by DNA by Tim Junkin, and of an upcoming documentary by Gregory Bayne, Bloodsworth: An Innocent Man.
Gifts for ChIPs
Under everyday normal circumstances being a teenager isn't always easy. Now imagine being a teen who has an incarcerated parent who they will be missing on Christmas.
As Diocesan Convention approaches, we are given an amazing opportunity to reach out and help. Children of Incarcerated Parents (ChIPs) is a diocesan program that provides Christmas presents (toys and books) for children ages birth to 18 whose parents are in prison. Every age is important when it comes to this program, but we hold a special place for the teenagers, who often get overlooked when folks go toy shopping for this program.
If you would like to make a donation for the ChIPs Christmas giving there will be a special collection box at each church on Oct. 13, 20 and 27. Please see p. 5 in the recent NH Episcopal News for very important gift guidelines.
United Thank Offering ingathering
Gracious God, source of all creation, all love, all true joy: Accept we pray, these outward signs of our profound and continuing thankfulness for all of life. Keep each of us ever thankful for all the blessings of joy and challenge that come our way. Bless those who will benefit from these gifts through the Outreach of the United Thank Offering. This we ask through Him who is the greatest gift and blessing of all, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The United Thank Offering (UTO) is a ministry of the Episcopal Church for the mission of the whole church. Through UTO, men, women, and children nurture the habit of giving daily thanks to God. These prayers of thanksgiving start when we recognize and name our many daily blessings. Those who participate in UTO discover that thankfulness leads to generosity. UTO monies support mission and ministry throughout the Episcopal Church and in invited Provinces of the Anglican Communion in the developing world.
There are UTO "blue boxes" in the Narthex at Trinity and in the hallway at Christ Church. Take one home; make using it a daily habit. We will have a UTO collection on Sunday, Oct. 20 and 27. Count out the change you've collected and write a check for that amount to your church (with UTO on the memo line) to put in the collection plate, and we will add it to other congregations' offerings during the annual Diocesan Convention, this year on Nov. 1. "Don't just count your blessings; make your blessings count."
Stepping up to the plate
Last Sunday, I had a conversation with one of our Wardens. If I say "he" or "she" you'll know which one - but what I have to say as a result of that conversation could equally apply in both congregations. The point is this: our intrepid Warden was finding it frustrating that so few were "stepping up to the plate" to participate in ministries we all know are valuable and important.
Remember back when you were confirmed? Confirmation is the process of becoming an adult member of the church, whether that person is a new adult coming into the Episcopal Church or a teenager coming of age and "owning" the Baptismal Vows taken for her/him as a small child. It's about discipleship. It's about becoming a minister in your own right. It's about stepping up to the plate and becoming an active member of the community.
Our communities - both of them - need some confirmands right about now. We need folks to serve on the FUNdraising team. We need folks to step forward and help out at the Holly Berry Fair at Trinity and the Christmas Fair at Christ Church. We need Sunday School teachers at Trinity and some new folks to serve on the altar (especially crucifers and torch bearers) at Christ Church. We need YOU.
I know these are small communities and, often, a few people end up wearing a whole lot of hats. But what if a lot of people stepped up to the plate so each person wore fewer hats? I think it would ease our Wardens' minds - and it would make my job a lot easier too.
-- Fr. Chip
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